This is the Truth Network. Encouraging Prayer God offers an open invitation for his people to talk with him at any time about anything. On encouraging prayer, Dr. James Banks, author of the best-selling Prayers for Prodigals and many other books on prayer, provides weekly biblical insight to help you learn to love to pray. And now, here's James.
So, today on Encouraging Prayer, we're going to talk about turning to Jesus in our hearts. And just what that means. I mean, this isn't about the first time we come to him. This is about coming to him again and again, day by day. And oh, it really matters, James.
Yeah, it does matter, Robbie. And as you just said, this isn't about repentance or a sinner's prayer, as vital, as important as that is. This is about what happens afterwards, about what it means to draw closer to Jesus. How do you do that? The answer is really simpler than you might think.
This really is about what we do when we pray, isn't it? We know we draw close to God through reading His Word and spending time with Him in prayer. But this is about what happens when the quiet time is over, where we go and what we do after that. I mean, we often talk about living in his presence. And that's really where this is going, right?
Yeah, here we go again. You know, we talk about this a lot, but I love the way John Eldridge explains it in his book, Experience Jesus, Really. And that's a book we've both read. And what he's talking about is the same thing I discuss in my book, Peace Through Prayer. And And that's the posture of our hearts.
And um I'll let uh I'll let Eldridge explain on that. He says This is the basic practice of learning to take refuge in God, this turning of the heart. The practice is closer, simpler and more accessible to you than you might think. You certainly know what it's like to turn your heart away from someone. A friend hurts you, a spouse or parent says something terribly wounding.
And in that moment, your heart withdraws. turns away. I'm not sure I can forgive you for that. We think. We all have experienced this sort of turning many times over.
but we can also turn our hearts towards someone. And then he gives this analogy of seeing a friend at a bus station in a Foreign country, and he says, You feel alone and vulnerable. It's a dangerous city. You've been warned. Then across the platform, you see your friends making their way toward you.
Before you can cry out their name, your heart has leapt toward them. Your little ones are playing with the neighborhood children outside. Suddenly, you hear a crash of.
Some sort, and then tears and a cry that needs no further explanation. Mommy. And your heart is in an instant fully and completely turned in the direction of your child. as you dash out the door. We always Turn.
Before we turn, Albert says. The heart tries to do. All right. and the body. Follows.
I like that. Yeah, wow.
So again, when we turn, we turn our hearts. It's simple, but a definitive gesture. Yes, yes. And think about the man who says, you know, I'm going to love my wife. He makes up his mind to do it, and then he may do several practical things afterwards, but it all starts with that turning toward her again in his heart.
And really, that's when love is at its best, when it's an act of the will. I'm going to do this.
So y you sound kind of like Nike. Just do it. Right, just do it. I mean, that's how it starts. And we could do it by just calling on his name, just praying Jesus or.
By just telling him that we love him, you know, just saying, I love you, Lord, again and again. And all that matters, I mean, however, we do it. Again, is just that we turn toward him, turn our hearts. Yeah, I I remember that Eldish talks about Jesus' parable of the prodigal son and how after he had come to his senses, he turned toward home, and really that's what we're doing. Right, right.
It's remembering the worth of what we have in Jesus, no matter where we are, no matter what's going on in the course of the day, and just coming back there. again and again. Yeah, and we really want to do that because really nothing compares to him. Right. And Eldridge makes the point that this is welcoming the wonder back into life.
And I so agree. It's about turning to God like a child, dependent and expectant and just looking forward to him and it it's such a beautiful thing. Yeah, I I you know, and I I know you love the story of the prodigal, and I know Eldridge loves the story of the prodigal, but I but I often think that you know, so many think repentance is repentance is this Difficult or hard or painful process, and it's so much the opposite that. Man, I mean, one minute you're eating pig pods or thinking about eating pig food, and the next minute you are so excited to be home with dad. Yeah.
Okay. And that's often, you know, actually, I caught myself there last night where I was just getting downer and downer and downer into a place of despair based on some family issues I was describing. And all of a sudden I went, wait. When I turn here, I'm turning back towards the real home where I know he will wait and that he ultimately is controlling it. Yeah.
Yeah, and it's it's a simple act of faith. but it's one we can do again and again as we go through the day. And it's something we need to do. This is just a habit of the heart, if you will, that we need to establish and keep practicing. The more we do it, you know, I think the easier it becomes and the more natural.
It becomes for us because again, Jesus is right there, his spirit is right there. With us, and so it's just a matter of. of opening our eyes to that, recognizing that. I think it also just helps so much to ask for his Help to do this, you know, to say, Lord, I know I need to turn to you more than I am. Uh would you please help me?
And he'll lead us, he'll show us. You know, it's so funny that you mentioned that John Eldred said that today because I was actually talking to a member of our church and She was talking about how she really didn't think she had much fruit in her life. And I was like, oh, oh, oh, you do not see. When you walk into the sanctuary, I can see the eyes light up of the people just turning their hearts. And it's exactly as Elder described.
They're turning their hearts because she lights up the place, right? As she comes in, and so many people are seeing what she does with her family.
Some of her kids are the most delightful people on the planet. And yet, you know, When people turn their hearts, it becomes so obvious, and it's a glorious thing to see. It is. And I think, think of the parable of the prodigal son again. Think of the father, and he's celebrating.
And and so when we realize we're welcomed like that, We're going to want to do this again and again. I think we ought to pray. Yeah, let's all go, Father. Thank you. Thank you.
That you're not angry, that your face Shines on us, and that as we turn to you, you welcome us with open arms. And so we come to you and we praise you and we thank you that we can just help us, Lord, to grow in this more and more. We love you and we want to love you more. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Amen. You can hear more from Pastor James by visiting his website, jamesbanks.org, or by visiting Peace Church in Durham, North Carolina. May God bless you and encourage you as you pray. Yeah.
This is the Truth Network. Yeah.
